comment on things past or present.”
Sympathy stirred in him. She had purple bruises of fatigue under her eyes and hair that frizzed out from the once tight knot. What had happened to her in the last ten years? How had she married a man who ended up being such a threat to her?
He pulled out the prepaid cell phone Luke told him to pick up. He threw it on Cassie’s lap. “There’s your new cell phone. Are you okay here alone during the day? Maybe you should contact the police.”
“I did notify the police. I stopped by this afternoon, and they promised to send a patrol car around to check on things. Marcus’s only crime at the moment is skipping out on his parole. I have no proof it was Marcus who tried to grab Tim at school. I know in my gut it was him. I keep hoping that in getting out of town and coming here, I’ve lost him. For good. I just need some time to make sure.”
John nodded. “Luke said you moved stuff from the trailer today. No more going out alone. Take one of us with you. As long as you’re hiding, why don’t you try staying hidden?”
She bristled and frowned at him. “Volunteering John?” she asked, her gaze brushing over his face. His lips tightened. Damn her ability to so piss him off.
“No. But if this mess is real don’t take any unnecessary chances.”
She let out a sigh. “I know. I won’t. Housebound. That’s me. Thank God we have the beach right here for Tim to play on. He loved it. So did I, not that you care of course. Anyways, I think Tim found his new best friend in Luke.”
“Luke?”
“Yeah he played with Tim down at the beach. He didn’t tell you?’
“No.”
Cassie’s face lit up whenever she talking about Tim. What had gone on with Luke, Tim, and Cassie today? And what was this stab in his gut? As if he cared what they did today or had any feelings about it. Ridiculous. He’d rather be anywhere than near Cassie. John turned, ending the conversation.
****
The next day was a Saturday, and all four of them were home together. Tim seemed to blossom with two adult males who talked, wrestled, and played with him, all the while answering Tim’s boundless questions. Cassie grinned, delighted to hear his many suggestions for what they could all do together. She should tone down Tim’s excitement and his familiarity with the Tyler’s, but how could she deny him the joy the grown men were to him? Her heart warmed to see him so happy and comfortable in the Tyler’s house. It was like he’d been here for years instead of a mere two days. He went out to the beach running endlessly, and already had a basket full of treasures he’d found on the dunes and beach.
There was a distinct coolness from John this morning as they had been forced by proximity to share the breakfast table. She regretted having prodded John last night. Ten years had done nothing to ease his hatred of what she’d done to him. Nothing ever would. But unreasonably, it ticked her off he pretended they were nothing to each other and that Sarah could so easily accept her presence in his life.
She’d sat around all evening stewing about John being at Sarah’s house. Which was stupid. Why would she care who John was with?
That afternoon he pulled in with Luke’s truck. John was soon putting together a basketball hoop. Cassie was touched that John would spend his Saturday afternoon doing such a chore for her son. She sighed. She was sick of all she had to be indebted to John for. He gave her a weary nod at her thanks and turned back to his project with a chattering Tim right alongside him. The rest of the afternoon she heard them playing basketball.
Cassie wandered back out onto the porch just as a zippy little red convertible flew up the driveway. Was it Sarah? It had to be. She sighed, she was going to have to get used to this. After all, she was the interloper, not Sarah.
John stopped the ball, tossing it to Luke as he jogged over to Sarah’s car. He smiled at her as she opened the door and
Sympathy stirred in him. She had purple bruises of fatigue under her eyes and hair that frizzed out from the once tight knot. What had happened to her in the last ten years? How had she married a man who ended up being such a threat to her?
He pulled out the prepaid cell phone Luke told him to pick up. He threw it on Cassie’s lap. “There’s your new cell phone. Are you okay here alone during the day? Maybe you should contact the police.”
“I did notify the police. I stopped by this afternoon, and they promised to send a patrol car around to check on things. Marcus’s only crime at the moment is skipping out on his parole. I have no proof it was Marcus who tried to grab Tim at school. I know in my gut it was him. I keep hoping that in getting out of town and coming here, I’ve lost him. For good. I just need some time to make sure.”
John nodded. “Luke said you moved stuff from the trailer today. No more going out alone. Take one of us with you. As long as you’re hiding, why don’t you try staying hidden?”
She bristled and frowned at him. “Volunteering John?” she asked, her gaze brushing over his face. His lips tightened. Damn her ability to so piss him off.
“No. But if this mess is real don’t take any unnecessary chances.”
She let out a sigh. “I know. I won’t. Housebound. That’s me. Thank God we have the beach right here for Tim to play on. He loved it. So did I, not that you care of course. Anyways, I think Tim found his new best friend in Luke.”
“Luke?”
“Yeah he played with Tim down at the beach. He didn’t tell you?’
“No.”
Cassie’s face lit up whenever she talking about Tim. What had gone on with Luke, Tim, and Cassie today? And what was this stab in his gut? As if he cared what they did today or had any feelings about it. Ridiculous. He’d rather be anywhere than near Cassie. John turned, ending the conversation.
****
The next day was a Saturday, and all four of them were home together. Tim seemed to blossom with two adult males who talked, wrestled, and played with him, all the while answering Tim’s boundless questions. Cassie grinned, delighted to hear his many suggestions for what they could all do together. She should tone down Tim’s excitement and his familiarity with the Tyler’s, but how could she deny him the joy the grown men were to him? Her heart warmed to see him so happy and comfortable in the Tyler’s house. It was like he’d been here for years instead of a mere two days. He went out to the beach running endlessly, and already had a basket full of treasures he’d found on the dunes and beach.
There was a distinct coolness from John this morning as they had been forced by proximity to share the breakfast table. She regretted having prodded John last night. Ten years had done nothing to ease his hatred of what she’d done to him. Nothing ever would. But unreasonably, it ticked her off he pretended they were nothing to each other and that Sarah could so easily accept her presence in his life.
She’d sat around all evening stewing about John being at Sarah’s house. Which was stupid. Why would she care who John was with?
That afternoon he pulled in with Luke’s truck. John was soon putting together a basketball hoop. Cassie was touched that John would spend his Saturday afternoon doing such a chore for her son. She sighed. She was sick of all she had to be indebted to John for. He gave her a weary nod at her thanks and turned back to his project with a chattering Tim right alongside him. The rest of the afternoon she heard them playing basketball.
Cassie wandered back out onto the porch just as a zippy little red convertible flew up the driveway. Was it Sarah? It had to be. She sighed, she was going to have to get used to this. After all, she was the interloper, not Sarah.
John stopped the ball, tossing it to Luke as he jogged over to Sarah’s car. He smiled at her as she opened the door and
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